Fishing For Plimpies
by A Scarlet Rebel
Summary: It's after the war, and everyone's staying at the Lovegood's. When Neville goes outside to find Luna, he finds her fishing for Freshwater Plimpies. If only he could see them... ONESHOT, for Lceracer's Neville/Luna Cloud-Star Challenge.


Hello readers! Wow, the ideas just keep flooding in! This is a one-shot for Lceracer's Neville/Luna Cloud-Star challenge. I hope you like it!

Reviewers are love. Leave me one! I mean, how long does it take to write a review?!

Enjoy the story!

-Scars

Fishing For Plimpies

Neville was wandering the Lovegood house, searching for Luna. He couldn't seem to find her anywhere; it was like she had disappeared. Well, considering that this was _Luna_, he didn't doubt that she had just disappeared.

He ran into his friend, Ginny Weasley on the spiral staircase that wove through the house. You see, Neville, Ginny, and their friends, Hermione, Harry and Ron, were staying at the Lovegood's house after the war. It was like… a celebration. That they were together, safe and alive after a cruel world.

"Ginny!" he said, asking her the exact same he had just asked nearly everyone else in the house: "Have you seen Luna? I can't seem to find her anywhere…."

Ginny shrugged, making Neville's slightly hopeful face fall. "I'm sorry, Neville, but I haven't seen her."

Neville's shoulders slumped as he responded, "Oh… ok then."

Ginny, noticing Neville's disappointment, tried to make him feel better. "Neville, she can't have gotten far! I'm sure she's around somewhere!"

Neville tried to smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I mean, I still haven't asked…," Neville stopped to think for ONE person in the house that he hadn't asked where Luna was…. Then suddenly, it hit him like a runaway Bludger. "I haven't asked Mr. Lovegood yet!"

Ginny smiled, glad that Neville had found an answer to his problems. "Go then!" she said, urging him to go.

But she didn't have to tell him twice. Neville was running down the staircase faster than the time it takes to Apparate.

When he finally reached the bottom, slightly out of breath, he ran into the kitchen and pass Hermione, Harry and Ron.

"Mr. Lovegood!" Neville said, taking the man by surprise.

"Ah! Neville, my boy! Come, come," he said, motioning the chair next to him.

Neville politely sat down at the chair he had motioned toward, trying not to seem impatient. "Um… Mr. Lovegood?"

Xeno Lovegood was busy chopping up fresh vegetables from the garden, so it took him a while to respond, making Neville even MORE anxious. "Yes…," he finally said, without looking up.

Neville fidgeted in his seat. "Uh, well, I was wondering if you knew where Luna was…." He finished the question as if it were more of a lingering statement.

Mr. Lovegood's face brightened. "Why, she's outside by the pond, fishing for Freshwater Plimpies!"

Neville smiled at the slightly aging man. "Thank you!" He made a mad dash for the door.

Just as Neville was headed outside, he heard Xeno Lovegood shout after him, "Watch out for the Wackspurts!"

When he reached the outside, all Neville could do was stop and stare at his surroundings. Sure, the day had looked great from a window inside, but there was NOTHING better than feeling the sun _actually _warming your skin. The day was truly lovely, the atmosphere was clear, and not a single cloud was in the sky.

Neville walked forward, searching around for the pond Mr. Lovegood had mentioned. Finally, his eyes found it, and he made his way to it. Neville thought he could distinctly make out a bit of blonde hair….

When he had made it completely to the shore of the pond, he stopped and saw Luna.

She wasn't too far away from where he was standing; she was wading through the water with rain boot. Her blonde hair was lazily thrown over one shoulder. Her eyes were fixed on the net in her hand as she swept it through the water, attempting to catch something. A small smile played across her lips.

Neville just stood there, knowing that he didn't need to announce his presence. Luna would be able to tell that he was there.

As if on cue, Luna said in her dreamy voice, "Hello, Neville."

"Hey Luna." He stepped forward, but suddenly, Luna looked up sharply and quickly. She held the net lazily by her side with one hand, and the other she held up.

"Stop Neville! Don't come closer! There are Glormes in the air." She explained all of this in an easy dreamy voice. "The only way the repel them is with a net. You don't have a net. Just stay where you are, I'll be out of the water right now."

She made her way out for the vast pond, her boots toddling slowly after her after every step she took because of the water. She took her time, and seemed to be waving her net under the surface of the water, searching for something.

Once she was nearly at the shore, her eyes suddenly widened as she pulled the net sharply out of the water.

"I caught you, little one!" she said triumphantly. She pointed at something by Neville's feet with one hand and held the Plimpie still with the other. "Neville… get the bucket."

Neville looked around for the bucket she was speaking of, then found it by his foot. He held it up for Luna, as she dumped the Plimpie in.

Neville looked into the bucket anxiously, waiting to see the famous Plimpie. But, when Neville didn't see anything, he turned confusedly to Luna.

"I don't see anything," he said, bemused. Sure, he was used to Luna being strange like this, but he was expecting to see something. Neville could've sworn that he saw a splash when Luna let go of the Plimpie….

Luna looked into the bucket. "Nope, they're in there." She began to tisk. "It's probably because they sense that you are a nonbeliever…. What a shame…."

"What?" Neville asked, setting the bucket down.

"Well," Luna began, getting her feet completely out of the water as she continued, "the Plimpies are rather magnificent. They're the _loveliest_ shade of glowing yellow; they nearly look like little stars! They only come out this time of year, so you won't be able to see them for a long time. That… and I never thought _Neville Longbottom_ would be a nonbeliever…."

Neville scrunched his eyebrows together. "Well, what does it mean when you are a nonbeliever?"

Luna smiled sadly. "Well, it mean's what it says: It means that you don't really believe in Plimpies and Nargles, or any magical creature that doesn't have sufficient 'proof' of existing."

Neville nodded, taking the information in. After he realized what it meant, he blushed and looked down at his feet.

_He_ was a nonbeliever, and now Luna knew. He always pretended to believe in Luna's crazy tales of fantastical animals like this, that couldn't REALLY exist, just to sort of keep her happy. But… now the Plimpies had ratted him out. Now she knew.

But when he looked up, a smile awaited his eyes. Luna was smiling as if all was forgiven. Yet not quite: Neville could see a corner of sadness in her smile.

She stepped out of her boots completely and shed her socks off, leaving her feet bare. She set her feet down against the grass, closing her eyes, smiling as the dew of the grass made contact with the skin on her feet.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and simply said, "Come on, Neville."

She let go of his hand and sat down in the grass, facing the pond, the bucket of Plimpies at her feet. Neville sat by her side, watching her intently.

"It's a shame you can't see them," she said sadly, staring at the bucket. "It would have been nice to have someone other than Daddy to share their beauty with." But, she smiled sadly and grabbed his hand, lacing her fingers through his own.

Neville's heart leapt into his throat. He attempted to remain cool enough to respond, "I wish I could see them, Luna. I really do." He turned to her. "What do I have to do to be a believer?"

"Well, you have to believe in creatures like Plimpies."

Neville looked at her. "But I DO believe in Plimpies, and I really want to see them."

Luna tilted her head to the side and explained in her dreamy voice, "I think you have to believe these things in your mind, too. Try closing your eyes."

Neville did as she instructed and shut his eyes. He filled his thoughts with believing thoughts. Kind of statements say he DID believe in Plimpies and Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

Suddenly, Luna's voice came in from his left ear. "Now, try to picture yellow glowing fish, glowing brightly like the stars of the sea."

He did as he was told. He pictured the florescent fish underneath the water, as if guiding divers through the water. Neville smiled to himself, think of the fish as the lighthouses of the ocean.

"Ok," he said. "I did it."

Luna smiled, squeezing his hand. "Now, try opening your eyes and seeing if you can see the Plimpies."

Neville's eyes shot open, eager to see if it had worked. But, all he saw in the bucket was plain water. Nothing.

"It didn't work," he said sadly.

Luna wasn't frazzled, though. "It's ok. It doesn't ALWAYS work the first time. Now, let's try this again. Close your eyes…."

Neville did so.

"Picture the Plimpie again. This time, more vividly. So vivid, that you could nearly touch it and so vivid that the light almost hurts your eyes."

Luna looked Neville thinking hard, and found herself leaning forward.

"Now…," she said, giving Neville further instructions. "You have to be able to believe in what you're seeing. You have to truly believe that the Plimpie is real."

Luna leaned even closer. Pretty soon she was nearly inches away from his face. She scooted the rest of the way, almost closing the gap between them completely.

"I think I--"

Neville was cut off by Luna's lips landing on his own. Neville was completely frozen. He almost feared that he would be permanently paralyzed.

Slowly, he found himself being capable of thinking again. He gradually moved his hands up to cup Luna's face.

Even though Neville's eyes weren't open, he thought he saw a faint yellow, bright light out of the corner of his eye….

When the two pulled away, Luna smiled at him.

Neville looked over to the bucket to make sure that he had really seen glowing lights out of the corner of his eye.

When he looked at it, it wasn't just filled with plain water anymore. It was glowing with florescent colors, looking twice as bright as any star.

Neville looked in the bucket deeper and exclaimed, "Luna! Look! I can see the Plimpies!"

Luna gasped. "Neville, I told you they're beautiful!"

"Yeah…," Neville said, staring at the Plimpies in wonder.

Luna grinned at him. "So… I guess you believe in Plimpies now."

"How could I not!" Neville said, throwing his hands up in the air. "They're… _amazing_."

Luna smiled, kissing his check. "See? I told you. You just had to believe."

Neville looked up at her and smiled. "I know Luna. I know that now. Now, let's go inside. Let's see if we can get the others to see them."

Luna smiled and got up, "Yeah. Although, I think we're going to have alittle trouble getting Hermione to believe."

Neville laughed as they walked to the house hand in hand, the bucket of Plimpies at his side.


End file.
